How to Make Decorated Cinnamon Roll Cookies

Continuing on from my previous donut cookie post, these cinnamon roll cookies are just as "sweet". Okay, maybe I'm going overboard with all these cookie puns, but aren't they what make Valentine's Day more fun? You get a sweet treat, a good laugh, and a kind sentiment your friends and family will surely cherish.  

What I love most about these cinnamon roll cookies, besides the adorableness factor, is how fairly simple they are to make. Like the donut cookies, they only require two layers of icing and a simple smiley face (which is optional). Here's how you can make your own decorated cinnamon roll cookies.

Cinnamon Roll Cookie Cutter

Just to recap, these cinnamon roll cookies use the same cookie cutter as my decorated donut cookies.

The label, "donut cookie cutter", is kind of a misnomer. I named it after my initial donut idea, but I can see this cutter being used for a variety of other designs. In addition to the cinnamon roll, I could definitely see myself using this cookie cutter for a French macaron or even a hamburger. Basically, anything bun-shaped would work.  

Template for the Cinnamon Roll Cookies

While I believe the overall technique to decorate these cinnamon roll cookies is easy, the drippy icing pattern might be challenging to nail down. This template will surely help guide you with that aspect.

You can download the cinnamon roll cookie template HERE.

If you have a Kopykake or Pico projector, just print it out (or pull it up on your mobile device) and you are good to go. For those without a projector, follow the suggested steps below by cutting out the template and tracing the design onto the cookie with an edible food marker.

The Decorating Process

To make these cinnamon roll cookies, you will need the following suggested colors:

• Tan medium consistency royal icing. (I mixed equal parts Americolor Ivory with Americolor Chocolate Brown.)
• White piping and flood icing. (I used Americolor Bright White.)
• Black piping icing. (I used Americolor Super Black.)

Step 1

With the tan icing, begin by outlining and flooding the base of the cookie. Let this icing layer dry and set (about 1 to 2 hours).

Step 2

Once the tan base layer is dry, it's time to add the icing detail. Admittedly, this could be tricky for those without a projector. For those without a Pico or a KopyKake, I would recommend cutting out the icing sections from the template and etching the outline onto the base layer with a scribe tool to help guide you.

Outline the drippy icing areas with white royal icing.

Step 3

Next, flood the icing sections with white flood icing. Then, the last step is to add a friendly face and your cinnamon roll cookies are complete.

Video Tutorial

The decorating steps above are summarized in this time-lapsed video.

Like the polar animal cookies and the donut cookies, I paired these cinnamon roll cookies with the chunky heart cookie cutter and the speech bubble cookie cutter for a punny gift set idea.

All the cookies seen above fit perfectly in these 7″x4.5″ gift boxes by BRP Boxshop. Just make sure you choose the LARGE size, as shown.

In case you were wondering, the fonts I used in the heart message cookies are Grenouille and Ziggurat. I've been loving this font combination because its both whimsy yet bold for emphasis. I've been using this font combo in most of my Valentine cookie messaging this season.